


Everybody Wants Somebody Who Doesn't Want Them

by queenregnantoftrash



Series: Everybody Wants Somebody [1]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Asexual Character, Background Relationships, F/M, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-23
Updated: 2014-11-23
Packaged: 2018-02-26 19:27:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2663597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenregnantoftrash/pseuds/queenregnantoftrash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes love is enough and sometimes it isn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Everybody Wants Somebody Who Doesn't Want Them

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GeneralSnowFluff](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeneralSnowFluff/gifts), [rocketdeer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rocketdeer/gifts).



> I wrote this for two of my friends that I gave the idea to. One replied "yes x10" and the other thought that I was talking about a fic and since there wasn't one I knew about I decided to do it for them. 
> 
> The title comes from a Patrick Stump song.

It never bothered Bruce--in fact after the accident it made things easier. It made ending everything with Betty a little easier. He always thought it worked out for the best, with the other guy always lurking, he could never accidentally hurt anyone again.

\---

It wasn't something that happened fast. It took a little over two years. The first time they meet he they were both on edge. She had a gun trained on him and he almost made her shoot.The plane ride after that was awkward. They spent 12 hours in silence as they went back to the helicarrier in New York.

The first time she saw him change she was terrified and hurt. She knew that she had to keep him contained, no matter how terrified she was. She made sure he didn't get farther into the ship. She succeeded and kept him from destroying the helicarrier; but he may have fallen over 5000 feet into an abandoned building.

The first time he proved her wrong was later that day. He came back to the team on a moped, into the middle of Manhattan, where aliens were pouring out of a giant blue hole in the sky. It was also the first time they fought together instead of against each other.

The first time they had dinner was an awkward affair. It was right after the battle in Manhattan. Stark had suggested shawarma and no one had the heart to say no to someone who had just come back from the dead. Also it helped that Stark was buying.  There was only small talk, and the only ones who were comfortable with each other were Clint and Natasha. They seemed to be in their own world; Natasha would smack him for dumb comments. At a close second was Bruce and Tony; Tony had caught Bruce in his charismatic bubble and it seemed like the beginning of a friendship. At the end of the night Natasha swore she saw the hint of a true smile on Bruce. 

Their first goodbye was not tearful in the slightest. They shook each other's hands and left with their partners in crime. When asked, Bruce will deny looking back at the last minute to see her one last time.

Bruce knew how to keep people at a distance. Never using nicknames. Always shutting down conversations he didn't have to have. Staying to the sides of parties and wearing the most generic suit he could. It was at a Maria Stark charity dinner when he next saw the Avengers.

That was the first party they both attended. Bruce only came after Tony said it was good for the Avengers. He showed up in a plain black suit with a purple tie to match his vest. Tony had Pepper pick it out for him. The strangest thing was that Pepper had not shown up with her usual avenger. She arrived with a brilliant smile on her face on the arm of Natasha, who the next day would be on the front cover of the tabloids kissing Pepper.

\---

That was how he found out Tony and Pepper broke up. Though it did help explain why Tony had started drinking again.

It wasn't until Pepper ran off with Natasha that Bruce realized how much Pepper did for Tony. She controlled his destructive tendencies by threatening to leave and putting her foot down. It also wasn't until Natasha ran off with Pepper that Clint started hanging around the tower.

Clint and Tony fed off each other's sadness. They both lost the woman they loved. Both in misery, Clint was always on missions, and Tony was always in the lab making something. Tony always complained how he couldn't fix their hearts by the time he finished his first bottle of liquor.

At first Bruce let them mourn, but after a month he brought in the big guns, Captain America. If he was to be their fearless leader he could handle those two.

At first Natasha felt bad. She felt bad that Tony and Clint fell into the bottle, but she couldn't help how she and Pepper felt. She tried to keep contact with at least Clint but he wouldn't reply. She knew he always got the call or text; he always had his phone in his pocket and on vibrate because he knew he would most likely not hear it. She knew better than to try Tony.

Pepper told her not feel bad, that she couldn't deal with his compulsive tendencies and it was a long time coming. But that didn't help the guilt.  The guilt would lessen with each kiss from Pepper and the love she felt inside her.

It was months before she decided to talk to the only one who she knew would at least give a courtesy reply to, Bruce.

The first time they emailed each other was six months after the big battle, four months since she started dating pepper, and five months before she and Pepper broke up.

 

Bruce,

Is Clint okay?

-NR

 

Natasha,

As good as he can be. Steve is here helping; Thor may be coming with Dr. Foster.

Regards,

Bruce Banner PhD

 

Bruce was shocked to hear from her. Part of him was mad at her, but he knew he shouldn't be. It wasn't her fault she didn't love Clint anymore. People fall in and out of love all the time, sometimes for things the other can't control. He almost didn't reply, he almost lied and said Clint was even better than ever, but it wasn't him. He decided on going with an email that wouldn't start another conversation. So he told her about Steve and Thor. But he left out all the things that he and Steve had to do to get Clint and Tony back to reality.

-

Bruce was relieved to say the least when Steve came to the tower. Steve always had a mission and currently it was to get Tony and Clint back to themselves.

Steve mainly focused on Tony, seeing as he was the most self-destructive.  Steve took all the alcohol so he could throw it out, using Jarvis and Bruce to find it all. He then commandeered Jarvis to make a sleeping and eating cycle so Tony would be locked out of the lab a couple hours a day. From midnight to 6am Tony was locked out and no matter what he said, Jarvis would reply, 

"My primary objective is for your safety. Nothing you say can change that Sir. Also I notified Captain Rogers  that you are trying to get inside the lab,"

The most surprising part was that Tony didn't struggle so much when Steve came to make him go to bed. Bruce just thought Tony was finally done fighting everyone. He was kind of right.

Clint was a little easier to get back on his feet. Clint had dealt with rejection before; orphans tend to know that feeling pretty well. But Bruce knew that Clint had fed off Tony's self-loathing. Bruce took him to India for a week, showed him the village he was staying in when Natasha found him. Clint would play with the children and help the people out by farming and fixing things when they needed it. By the end of the trip Bruce knew it made a difference. He took one picture on that trip; it was a picture of Clint smiling with a bunch of children hanging off of his arms. Bruce knew he had done the right thing.

 

Natasha,

He's doing fine. He's finally healing.

*see picture attached*

Regards,

Bruce Banner

 

It was six months after the "Break Upocalypse of '012", as Clint lovingly called it, when Natasha got Bruce's email. If you ask Natasha she'll say she didn't cry, if you ask Pepper she'll say she did. Natasha will admit she smiled. For the first time in six months Natasha didn't have that little feeling of guilt about her and Pepper.

-

Helping Tony was difficult. Steve knew that, he knew that Bruce would not have brought him in if Tony didn't need the help.

Tony was a wreck, to say the least. The bags under his eyes had about seven bags and he was sporting quite the beard. The first thing Steve did was make him shower and clean up the lab. Tony yelled at Steve the whole time, so loud that even Bruce heard him from his floor that was two stories above the lab.

The funniest thing to Bruce was that Tony listened to everything Steve said. Sure he would bitch and moan about it but Tony would do it. Bruce knew that Tony needed help to heal, that Tony needed something Bruce couldn't give him, but maybe Steve could.

-

The first email they exchanged that wasn't about Clint was two months after Bruce sent the picture and one month before Natasha's and Pepper's break up.

 

Bruce,

It's been awhile. How are you? It's been a long time since the avengers have met up. Did Thor ever move into the tower with Dr. Foster? I hope this isn't weird.

-NR

 

It took Bruce a week to reply.

 

Natasha,

I am doing well. Thor, Jane, and her assistant Darcy moved into the tower.

Regards,

Bruce

 

Natasha wanted to reply back, but decided against it.

-

Thor and his crew came into the tower like a hurricane. They brought noise and life to the somber tower. Darcy and Clint became friends and spent their time trying to annoy Tony. Jane started to work with Tony and Bruce. Thor just fit into the picture, he showed up where he was needed. For the first time in years Bruce felt at home in his own body again.

-

The first time they saw each other after outside of dinners and 'work' was strangely enough in a museum.

To Bruce's surprise Natasha was the one who called out to Bruce. She went up to him and they made small talk and decided to walk around together. Natasha surprised Bruce by keeping her distance, when she typically walked so close to everyone. He appreciated the distance. After that day Bruce decided they were friends.

-

Being friends with Bruce was not a normal friendship. It meant sitting in a room together in silence. Sometimes music would play in the background, sometimes it wouldn't. It didn't mean he didn't care about someone. It just meant he was comfortable with someone.

-

The first time Natasha visited Bruce at the tower was after Pepper broke up with her.

Natasha didn't say anything as she appeared in Bruce's lab. She did startle Darcy who was busy putting data into Bruce's computer. Darcy almost said something, but the look on Natasha's face made her stay quiet. She told Bruce she was getting lunch and left. When Bruce finally looked up, he was surprised to see Natasha.

 

The first time she visited him was also the first time he saw her cry.

When he saw the first tear he didn't know what to do. He had never been good with tears. He walked toward her and stopped about a foot away. He lifted his hand up and reached towards her but stopped just before her shoulder. Then he put his hand down.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She stopped crying for a moment at looked at him.

"It's over,"

"I'm sorry... Can I do anything?"

"Can we just sit?"

He nodded and led her to the chair Darcy had vacated. He grabbed a chair of his own and moved it next to hers. Then they sat in silence until she stopped crying.

 

The first outing together was getting Natasha's stuff from Pepper's apartment. Bruce wasn't surprised that there were paparazzi outside it; a whole bunch of famous people that he could never name lived there. When the paparazzi saw Bruce they scattered. With a heavy sigh Bruce walked with Natasha to the door and stood awkwardly as she went through the process of getting access to Pepper's apartment. At the apartment, Bruce began to wonder how they were going to take everything with them. As if she could read his mind she brought out two duffle bags. Bruce knew he was with her to carry things, so he didn't try to figure out what was hers. The strangest part was watching Natasha grab all her hidden weapons and put them in the bigger duffle. It took about an hour to gather all Natasha's things.

When she was ready to go she left her key on the table. Her hand lingered on the it, she shook her head and walked out the door Bruce held open for her. Bruce could have sworn he heard Natasha whisper, "Looks like love is never enough,"

 

It took a week for Natasha to act normal again. Bruce knew she was still hurting but she would never show it. She had her moment of weakness, she mourned for losing Pepper so she could move on. Life went on and she spent most of her down time in Bruce's lab because she knew she wouldn't be bothered.

The first time they lived in the same building was 13 months after the battle of Manhattan, a year since Stark tower was finished, a month after she broke it off with Pepper, and two weeks before her past came back to haunt her.

At first Tony put his foot down, saying that Natasha couldn't live there. He always had some dumb reason:

"There isn't enough room,"

"We have five empty floors that meant for the avengers Tony. One has Natasha's name next to the elevator button,"

"Because I say so,"

"You're being a child Tony,"

"We already have a spy,"

"You're serious? You're going to count Clint?"

"Yeah I guess you're right... CLINT STOP WITH THE ARROWS"

"Clint doesn't want her here,"

"Nah I'm cool, got myself a new squeeze,"

"Tony, I will literally have a response to any of your dumb excuses. She got dumped by Pepper too; you guys have that in common. It's not like you're going to see her around the tower, she's always in Bruce's lab,"

"Fine Steve,"

Natasha moved in that day. Clint, Bruce, Steve, and Thor helped her move into the floor above Bruce. Tony watched the whole thing with a scowl on his face and eventually got bullied into setting things up by Steve. That was the day Natasha finally felt like she had been  accepted by most of her team.

-

The first time Bruce met an ex of Natasha's that didn't work with both of them was two weeks later. Bruce wouldn't have cared if he hadn't had to fight him and it brought to light that all  S.H.E.I.L.D. had been  compromised.

It was also the first time in fourteen months he let the other guy out.

He didn't know why he felt compelled to visit Steve and Natasha in DC. Maybe he was lonely or maybe he needed a break from Tony's insistent complaining about Steve being gone. Bruce lasted two out of the six weeks before he need the break and went to DC. If asked, Bruce would say he was there to surprise Steve.

Bruce was in Steve's living room when Fury burst through the door. Fury was bleeding and angry to see Bruce.

"Why are you here? You should with Stark,"

"Stark is a little too much for me right now. Do you need some help?" Bruce asked as he noticed all Fury’s blood stained clothes

"I need you to take this to Widow; she'll know what to do with it,"

Bruce nodded and left. If you ask Bruce he would swear he heard Fury say, "You aren't a monster Banner,"

-

The first secret she told him was just after she got Fury's message. It was in the Smithsonian in Steve's exhibit. She was standing in front of the commandos, he's sure that Steve would have lectured him about not knowing who this one was. Bruce took a moment to look at Natasha and he knew that face. That was the face that she had when she saw Pepper and sometimes when she saw Clint.

"When was he yours?"

She laughed.

"How did you know?"

"You only have that look when you see Pepper and sometimes Clint,"

"I knew him as the Soldier. He trained me and for a short time he may have loved me. He was off the ice for six months, and then they wiped him of his memories and put him back on ice. The next time we crossed paths I almost died. When I met Steve I felt guilty, I knew what happened to his best friend the whole time and could never tell him,"

"I'm sorry,"

"We all need to make mistakes Bruce,” She paused, “But thanks, I have to go fix that mistake... Stay safe,"

The first time Bruce saves Natasha was the same day they captured the Winter Soldier. At a later date, after the Winter Soldier became Bucky again, Bucky would say if it was a fair fight he would have won. Steve slapping the back of his head or Darcy saying he wouldn't have a girlfriend either was the only thing that shut him up.

 

The fight was anti-climactic. The other guy smashed through the window, grabbed and knocked him out. Shortly after that he got the Soldier, he grabbed Natasha and Sam who were falling out of a collapsing building. Later Tony complained about how anti-climactic the whole situation saying,

"If I was there more things could have exploded!"

But Tony always finds something to complain about.

-

The first time they hugged was four months after she moved in, three months after the Soldier incident, and seven months before they entered into the weird purgatory between friendship and something more.

It was when he found out Betty had passed away. He had not seen her since shortly after the radiation accident, but she was the first person he loved. Natasha found Bruce in his lab, things were thrown around and his eyes tinted green. When he saw her he ran towards her. Natasha braced herself not knowing what would happen. Bruce surprised her by hugging her. After the initial shock she wrapped her arms around him. They stayed like that until he found the strength to talk.

"Betty... She's gone,"

She squeezed him a little harder before pulling back,

"Wanna talk about it or..."

He shook his head and went towards the couch. She followed. Bruce spent the rest of the night leaning against her shoulder. She wrapped her arm around his waist and he cried on her shoulder until he fell asleep.

 

The first time someone questioned their closeness was when they arrived at a charity dinner together. They showed up arms linked and heads held high. Clint yelled, "Widow has her next victim,"

The sound of a slap echoed through the room. Then Tony and Clint laughed and the dinner went on. When Natasha slapped Clint he had smiled, and Natasha knew he forgave her.

The first time they held hands was a month before the awkward zone. They were walking around the Manhattan and they lost each other. When he found her he didn't let go of her hand till the returned to the tower.

 

They enter the awkward zone between friendship and something else when someone asked how long they'd been dating. Bruce blushed and Natasha glared. Clint scurried away before he got beaten up.

-

It was two years after they met, thirteen months after Pepper and Natasha broke up, eleven months since Natasha shared her secret, and seven months since they first hugged when Bruce tried to tell Natasha his 'secret'.

They're watching TV in Bruce's living room when he tries to say it. She stops him when she see he can figure out the words and says,

"I know," with a smile, "I am content to cuddle for as long as you'll have me,"

Bruce smiles, grabs her hand, and continues to watch TV.


End file.
